#comes to ur shop and falls in love with how gently you put makeup on him even though you know he’s doing it for someone else

[theloveinc]

Ummm you in your 1970’s style pink pantsuit selling cosmetics at a small boutique at the local mall. The carpet smells like mildew and old lady parfum, and the till is right in front of the glass window displays which show you off to the milling shoppers.

Most of your customers are women looking for skincare advice, don’t mind the fact you chew bubblegum and sip soda from a styrofoam cup, but one day a man comes in, silent and strong, blonde with a fierce scowl… looking for some kind of gift for a woman he’s trying to court (but failing, because he doesn’t really like her, you can tell when he reveals it was his mom who sent him your way)…

But you sit him down at your lit vanity anyway, and take his rough hand in yours to rub different creams onto his knuckles and shimmering powders over the veins of his wrist, telling him which are the most popular and which you like best………….. only to find that instead of looking at the products, he’s looking right at you, instead.

[artificialqueens]

Not Nineteen Forever (6) (Branjie/Scyvie)- Ortega

a/n: short a/n today bc there’s very little else that needs to be said apart from as always, love yees all, i am officially on holiday so keep ur eyes out for much much more of this!!!

Summary: Brooke, Yvie and Nina are three flatmates who forged a friendship in their first year of university and picked up some other waifs and strays along the way. Now in their final year, there are feelings that need to be unravelled and confessions to be made whilst navigating drunk nights, hungover mornings, takeaways, group chats, library meetups, cafe gossiping, and the small matter of getting a degree.

Last chapter: Yvie’s 20th lazerquest visit saw her and Scarlet make amends and Brooke and Vanessa make out.

This chapter: Scarlet has finally flown too close to the sun. But maybe something good can come of it.

***

Scarlet sat on her bed, swamped with clothes, coats, shoes, clutch bags and a whole host of other accessories.

She had absolutely fucked it.

Trying to keep her breathing steady, tears stung her eyes as she looked down and read her banking app again.

£346.59.

How could it have been possible to completely piss away nearly five thousand pounds in the space of a month? Scarlet had tried to work it out, torturing herself as she pored over her bank statement again and again, but she couldn’t come up with anything new. She was a dumb idiot airhead who didn’t know how to be financially responsible, who wasn’t ready for any form of adult life.

She’d tipped out all her new purchases onto her bed in a state of panic, although what she’d been hoping to achieve she wasn’t sure. Now she was surrounded by things. They’d all brought her so much happiness in the moment but now it seemed as if they were the cause of all her problems.

Actually, no, she harshly berated herself as she let out a sob. She was the cause of all her problems. She’d lost practically all her winnings, she’d damaged things with Yvie and was only just working on getting them back to how they were, and she knew she’d isolated herself from the girls. Well, more so than usual. She knew that all of them had been told about what happened on that night out with just the four of them and even though they all acted fine with her at Yvie’s birthday, Scarlet couldn’t bear to think about what they must have thought of her. If it hadn’t been for the fact it was Yvie’s birthday she probably wouldn’t even have been invited.

Scarlet’s heart wrenched when she thought about her and Yvie, how she’d gone from realising her crush on her to being optimistic enough to think something might happen between them, to seeing it all coming crashing down and having to rebuild it. Yvie had been so sweet on her birthday and Scarlet could tell she was making an effort with her to repair things, the other girl clearly regretting how she’d behaved too. They had arranged to meet for coffee at some point today to just catch up- to hang out like they used to, without alcohol or drugs or Scarlet paying for anything. Not that that was an option any more. Sniffing, Scarlet checked her phone and her heart dropped when she saw two messages from Yvie. Frozen, she looked at the time.

Shit.

Scarlet had lost herself in her panic and anxiety-fuelled breakdown that she hadn’t noticed how long she’d been lying on her bed for. Yvie had been waiting at the coffee shop for ten minutes already and it was a twenty minute walk from Scarlet’s flat. Reading the messages, Scarlet couldn’t even bring herself to reply. Now she’d made things even worse, Yvie probably hated her again for standing her up, and she’d probably be cut out of the friendship group. As Scarlet felt the tears run down her face, she caught a glimpse of herself in the huge mirror opposite her bed. Her lashes were all stuck together, the length of the extensions rendering them spidery and ridiculous-looking. Her cheeks were blotchy and her nose was bright red, embarrassing streams of mucus covering her upper lip. She’d been crying for so long that her eyelids were swollen up. The one thing Scarlet always thought she could rely on- her appearance- was lost in the moment, and it made her feel even worse.

Closing her eyes, she threw herself back on the bed, reaching under a huge leather jacket for her teddy and holding it close. Breathing in deeply and fighting a hiccup, she wished she was home. Her family cottage in the country, her Mum and Mam and her terrier, Yorkie. That feeling of freedom and complete peace she would get when she took him for walks through endless fields and windy country roads, feeling the wind whip at her hair and the cold thrash at her skin. Being able to pick berries and take them home and make jam with them like some ridiculous fucking Enid Blyton character. Scarlet had complained endlessly about country living when she’d been at school, clamouring to move to a big city of some sort for uni. It had all definitely been a culture shock but she’d loved every minute of it, the feeling of always having something to do or somewhere to go. Now, Scarlet found herself yearning to go home, maybe just even for the weekend. Home being at the other end of the country rather than the four walls around her never got any easier. Her Mum had texted her the other day, eager for an update and missing her in a message peppered with kisses and heart emojis. Scarlet hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell her anything, giving a generic, standard response in reply.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Scarlet felt herself fall into a tear-induced drowsy nap.

She woke however many minutes later- Scarlet hadn’t known what time she’d fallen asleep nor when she’d woken up- to the heavy click of her bedroom door opening and voices outside. Startled, Scarlet heard a familiar voice muttering a thanks and was mortified to see who appeared moments later.

Of course it was Yvie, and she looked fucking beautiful. Her hair was its usual tidy untidiness of black curls and waves sticking out all over the place, her makeup was pristine as usual, but her outfit was different. It was one Scarlet hadn’t seen before hiding under Yvie’s huge knee-length parka- a short leather skater skirt with ripped tights and a black ribbed tank top with a plaid shirt tied around her middle in a tight knot. Scarlet’s stomach dropped. This was a new outfit. Yvie had made an effort for their meeting. Oh no.

So much was going on in Scarlet’s mind that she barely registered Yvie’s face. She’d assumed that she would be the picture of complete rage, appearing at Scarlet’s flat to berate her about standing her up, but the other girl looked completely horrified. Scarlet didn’t trust herself to speak and it was Yvie who opened her mouth first.

“What…has happened here?” she asked slowly, her voice level. Scarlet couldn’t pinpoint what it was but suddenly her face was crumpling again, her heart not even able to react as Yvie’s face grew more concerned and she rushed forward to join her on her bed, wrapping her arms around her in a huge hug. Scarlet hadn’t felt so safe in a long time. She felt herself gulping for air as she babbled in the other girl’s arms.

“Yvie I’m so sorry…I totally lost track of time, I was doing stuff and I didn’t see the clock…please don’t hate me, fuck, I don’t want to lose you, please-”

“Hey, hey, bitch!” Yvie said gently, pulling away and resting her hands on Scarlet’s shoulders. Scarlet found herself being anchored to Yvie’s eyes and they were so calm and deep and dark that Scarlet felt this inexplicable feeling of falling wash over her. As she stared, Yvie continued to speak. “You’re not going to lose me, you’re never going to lose me. I could never hate you. Where is all this coming from?”

Scarlet frowned. “When we all went on that night out…you said-”

“Fuck, no, Scarlet, that was a load of shit. I was drunk and I was angry and I said things I didn’t mean. I said things I did, but I said things I didn’t too. You’re always going to be my friend, no matter what happens. I love you too much to lose that.”

Scarlet felt as if it was physically impossible for her to cry more. She was exhausted, and she gave a small laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Sighing, she blinked heavily. “I love you too."

As Yvie smiled at her and opened her arms out again for a hug, Scarlet found herself wondering if they would ever say it to each other and have it mean more than what it meant now. She wanted to believe that they would. Her heart gave a small judder as she was sure she felt Yvie press a kiss to her hair.

"What is all this shit doing here, then?” came Yvie’s voice, and Scarlet gave a sigh that her whole body seemed to feel. She couldn’t keep this all bottled up forever.

“I won on a scratchcard just under a month ago. Just after Vanjie’s birthday night. I got five thousand from it and I’ve just completely pissed it away,” she said, her voice monotone and emotionless, trying to detach herself from the situation. Yvie stroked her back in circles supportively. Scarlet heard her give a laugh.

“Shit, girl,” she said calmly, Scarlet letting out a small, humourless laugh with her. “So this is why you’ve been acting like an own-brand Paris Hilton?”

“Pretty much. I had wanted to put some of it in my savings account but I just never got round to it…I liked treating everyone. I liked treating myself, you know? I never have anything, you know how hard I’ve been finding it to get a job…I just wanted everyone to like me.”

Scarlet felt her body fall forward as Yvie pulled away from her again and frowned. “Scarlet. Everyone does like you.”

Scarlet made a face. “No but…properly like me, you know? Everyone just puts up with me because I’m your friend and if it wasn’t for you they probably wouldn’t hang out with me.”

Yvie let out a laugh and threw her head back. “Scarlet, oh my God! Nobody thinks that! Vanjie loves you, she’s always saying how sweet you are to everyone. Plastique is always so happy when you come to things. Akeria thinks you’re hilarious- in a good way! Nina values you so much-”

“Nina could find the good in Piers Morgan, Yvie, come on,” Scarlet muttered, picking at her duvet cover.

“Well she still loves you! I know that Brooke can be mean sometimes but she’s like that to us all, speaks first, thinks later. I mean look at the shit she says to Vanjie sometimes and she practically wants to fuckin’ wife the girl,” Yvie rolled her eyes, the sight making Scarlet laugh. “And Silky is…Silky’s Silky. If you’re not Vanjie or Akeria you’re always going to be the inferior friend so you might as well suck it up and deal with it.”

Scarlet gave a small laugh, shrugging in agreement. Her skin gave a tingle as Yvie reached out for her hand, linking their fingers together without hesitation.

“Scarlet. We all love you. You don’t need to buy us shit for us to be your friend. We love that you’re cheerful, we love that you’re funny, we love that you’re sweet, we love that you’re thoughtful, that you listen, that you’re beautiful-” Yvie said, faltering a little as if she’d said something she shouldn’t. “I mean, yeah. You get the point. Just promise me you won’t do any fucking cocaine any more.”

Scarlet laughed. “Fuck, no.”

Yvie smiled shyly and gave her hand a squeeze. Fuck, she was still holding it. “Good. I just know what it can do to people. And I like having you alive."

Scarlet returned her smile. She noticed they were sitting facing each other now, cross-legged with their knees touching. There wasn’t much distance between them. Looking back up at Yvie, she watched as the other girl looked away quickly as if she’d been caught.

"Uh, so…you never said why you have all these clothes out."

"Oh, right,” Scarlet looked down, embarrassed and disappointed for no apparent reason. “This is all the shit I bought. Some of it still has the tags on. I was looking for receipts but I don’t think I got very far. I was just panicking and crying. I’ve cried so much, I definitely look like shit.”

When Scarlet looked up, Yvie’s cheeks were pink and she’d pressed her lips together tightly. She was looking at Scarlet with hesitation. “You never look like shit."

"I have my moments,” Scarlet rolled her eyes, looking up to the ceiling then feeling her gaze being pulled back down as she felt Yvie reach out and take her other hand.

“No, you really don’t,” Yvie said quietly, with an intensity that shot up Scarlet’s spine. The room seemed to buzz, or maybe that was the blood roaring in Scarlet’s ears. It felt as if something was going to happen and Scarlet felt she was walking on a sheet of ice, so conscious of saying the wrong thing unless it cracked and she fell and froze.

She settled on a small smile. “You’re sweet.”

Yvie let out a breathy laugh, then looked down and then back up at Scarlet. She laughed quietly. “Fuck, what’s happening right now?”

“I don’t know,” Scarlet whispered through her own laughter, sure that Yvie could hear how loud her heart was beating.

“I really want to kiss you,” Yvie said almost inaudibly and fuck, shit, that was out in the open and Scarlet felt as if she was plummeting through the ice sheet even though nothing had gone wrong. She only left a second between Yvie’s words and her response, a hopeful but afraid little whisper in the silence of her room.

“Do it.”

Quickly, Yvie leant forward, swept a hand up to Scarlet’s cheek and met her lips with her own, Scarlet feeling herself melting into them. She felt her heart beating at the rate of a hummingbird’s wings and she was hardly able to breathe. She couldn’t believe this was happening at all and she hadn’t been the one to instigate it. Neither of them were drunk or high or on something. Fuck, Yvie liked her back.

Scarlet felt Yvie’s other hand come to rest on her knee as she pulled away, the other girl blushing more than Scarlet had ever seen her blush as long as she’d known her, and Scarlet couldn’t help but giggle. Yvie smiled back at her, the tips of her ears bright red. For a moment, neither of them spoke, Scarlet feeling simultaneously like a rabbit in the headlights and the car that was coming towards it. Yvie spoke first.

“So…that’s happened.”

Scarlet swallowed. Her mouth felt absolutely bone dry. She made a noise of agreement. Yvie let out a small, awkward laugh.

“What do we do now?”

Scarlet shrugged slowly, her face scrunching up as she was unable to tell if Yvie completely regretted everything or not. Yvie bit her lip and thought for a moment, then spoke slowly.

“Okay, I’m going to give us three options. Option one…we never talk about it again and pretend like it didn’t happen. Option two, we cut our losses and never see each other ever again. Or option three…” Yvie looked up at the ceiling and sighed. If Scarlet looked at Yvie’s wrist she could see her pulse racing. Without meeting Scarlet’s eyes, Yvie continued. “…I tell you about how I’ve fucking…liked you since I met you and how I’ve been too scared to ask you on a date for a year so we just ended up becoming friends.”

“Oh my God,” Scarlet’s mouth dropped open, complete shock drenching her. She couldn’t help but laugh, Yvie cringing and putting her head in her hands. “This is a dream. I’m dreaming, right? You’re not telling me this.”

“Fuck, Scarlet, I’m sorry-”

“Yvie, no, shut up!” Scarlet cried, pulling Yvie’s hands away from her face as she realised she’d got the wrong idea. “I’m saying that because I fucking like you as well!”

Scarlet had never seen Yvie look this level of surprised. Suddenly, a smile crept onto her face and she was laughing, complete belly-laughing with that ridiculous evil chuckle that Scarlet loved so much. Scarlet was soon joining in, lacing their fingers together and before she knew it, she had leant in and was kissing Yvie again. It felt equally as electric and terrifying and amazing the second time as it had the first.

“We could’ve been doing this for a year? Fuck, I wish I wasn’t such a fucking idiot,” Yvie hissed as she pulled away, Scarlet laughing.

“You’ve really liked me for that long?” she asked quietly, flattered and blushing.

“Well, yeah,” Yvie shrugged, embarrassed. “For someone who looks in the mirror so much you’re completely fucking oblivious to how stunning you are."

"Shut up,” Scarlet ran a hand through her hair and laughed, unable to deal with any of this. “Jesus. I only figured out I liked you like, a month ago. I don’t think you’re the idiot here.”

“Yeah, that is pretty dumb. I’m fuckin’ great.”

The two girls laughed again, still not having let go of each others’ hands. As the laughter died down, Yvie frowned and looked down.

“What is it?”

Yvie sighed. “I want to say something else but…nah, it’s fine.”

“Oh, you have to tell me now,” Scarlet rolled her eyes, Yvie making a face.

“No, it’s embarrassing! It’s going to make me seem like I’m still in school, fuck. It’s just…” Yvie paused for a long time, seemingly struggling to find the words. “Look, okay, this is what it is. I don’t want to do the whole…kiss each other sporadically, fuck each other, go on dates- no, that came out wrong, of course I want to take you on dates, of course I want to do all of that- what I mean is…I don’t want the whole uncertainty, not knowing how we feel about each other, not knowing where we are.”

Scarlet nodded once Yvie was finished. “I get that. I guess I don’t really want any of that either.”

“So what I’m basically saying is- and I know this is fucking ridiculous and feel free to say no-”

“Yvie, fucking out with it!”

Scarlet watched Yvie take a breath and hold it before she spoke. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Scarlet couldn’t stop from breaking out into what she could swear was the biggest smile she’d ever had on her face. "Yes I want to be your girlfriend. So much.”

And before Yvie had a chance to smile back at her, Scarlet leant forward and pulled her into their third kiss of the day, just because she could.

From there, Yvie devised a plan of action for her. She helped Scarlet organise her clothes, punctuating the whole process with kisses. Then Yvie took her into town to take most of them back, Scarlet feeling completely weightless. Everything that had seemed to be going wrong was all a million miles away, and she was happy. When they were done, Yvie took her to a nice fancy bar in the posh part of town and ordered them two glasses of prosecco, clinking their glasses together. Scarlet laughed as Yvie made up ridiculous and increasingly cheesy things to cheers to, feeling drunk before she’d even taken a sip of the bubbles. As there was a lull in the silence, Scarlet suddenly had a thought.

“How are we going to tell the girls?”

Yvie rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, don’t. They’re going to be fucking insufferable.”

Scarlet pouted. “Aw, Yvie! They’ll be sweet!"

"No they fucking won’t, I will never hear the end of this from Brooke.”

“Vanjie is gonna be so pissed that we got together before she and Brooke did.”

Yvie narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think we did.”

Scarlet frowned. “What?”

“I don’t think we did get together before them. I think something’s happened between them already.”

Scarlet was intrigued. “How come?”

“Because,” Yvie cut herself off as she took a sip. “Do you not remember how she was at my birthday? Like she was fine all day then we had the last game and she came out acting like she’d been fucking tranquilised? Remember she walked straight into that little boy and knocked him to the ground and Nina had to run and hide because he goes to the school she’s teaching at?”

“Of course I remember that, Jesus.”

“And we were all talking when we went out for lunch and she hardly said a word and when she did talk it was like she was sleepwalking? Well, she’s been like that ever since. Totally tuned to the moon, I’ve not had a single peep out of her all week."

"How does that indicate something good, though? It sounds like something bad’s happened,” Scarlet furrowed her brow, Yvie’s eyes lighting up and leaning across the table to her in response.

“Well, that’s what I first thought too, and then I started noticing it. She is never off her damn phone. Like, markedly more than usual. And it’s not when the chat is active. Her thumbs are fucking flying across the screen and she’s smiling like the Cheshire cat. I asked her what she was smiling at the other day, you know what she told me? Twitter. Brooke doesn’t have Twitter. You do the maths, something’s happened,” Yvie grinned, taking a sip. Scarlet smiled gleefully, then pulled a face.

“Weird that she hasn’t told you, though.”

“Well yeah, I am kinda pissed about it. But I mean I guess she’ll tell us when she’s ready,” Yvie shrugged, Scarlet thinking it was the most calm response to something like that she’d ever seen Yvie give. “So how are we telling the girls?”

“Put it on the chat?”

Yvie screwed up her face. “Please. This is too good for the chat. I mean we could just tell them when we see them tonight?”

“What’s tonight?” Scarlet frowned, Yvie laughing in response.

“Girl. Did you just forget that it’s Halloween?” she chuckled. Scarlet genuinely had forgotten. She’d had so much going on in her own head.

“Fuck. I guess I did. What are we even doing?”

“Our flat was gonna host a movie night since Nina’s got placement and can’t go out. If you want you could come straight back after this,” Yvie pushed a cardboard coaster around the table with her finger and ran her tongue over her teeth. “And we could, I don’t know. Make out some more?"

Scarlet felt herself blush. It was still the most surreal of feelings. She’d liked Yvie for so long, although she hadn’t really figured it out til recently, and now she could actually kiss her and talk about how amazing in every way Scarlet though she was without having to keep it a secret. She smiled at Yvie from across the table and reached over to take her hand. "That sounds good. I like that plan. And maybe you can tell me more about this crush you’ve had on me for a year.”

Yvie burst out into a laugh, and Scarlet felt her smile hurt her cheeks. “Bitch, stop! Stop roasting me for liking you. Jesus.”

“No, but it’s just funny! Not funny ha ha, but just so cool that you must have been pining for me at the same time I was pining for you. Isn’t that crazy?” Scarlet mused, looking at Yvie with interest. Yvie chucked and squeezed her hand.

“Jeez, Scarlet, do you study philosophy at all?” she asked sarcastically, Scarlet wrenching her hand away and slapping at Yvie’s playfully. Yvie descended into giggles, Scarlet unsure if she’d ever seen the other girl smile so much and for such a sustained period of time. “Okay, okay, how about I tell you one and you tell me one? A time where we’ve…what was that word? Pined for each other."

Scarlet tried to stop the smile that spread across her face. "Okay, yeah. You start.”

“Okaay…” Yvie dragged out the word, thinking. “Um, I think I first realised I liked you at Vanjie’s birthday last year. You were wearing a red sparkly, glittery dress and your hair was all in chopstick curls and it hit me like a ton of bricks how fucking beautiful you were and I spent the whole night trying to work out how to flirt with you because at that point we were too far into the deep end as friends to even be anything else."

Scarlet felt her face hot. It was so amazing to her, the concept of somebody seeing her and falling for her, thinking she looked amazing enough to develop a crush on. Maybe she did think too deeply about all this stuff. She sipped her drink and watched as Yvie burst out laughing. "Oh, man, this was a great idea. You’re so adorable when you blush."

"Shut up,” Scarlet shook her head, her smile still not off her face. “Okay, here’s mine. I think I properly realised that I liked you, like when it really sank in, was that night we had pres at Silky’s.”

Yvie laughed. “Bitch, which one?!”

“The one recently! We were all there, we were playing the question game. And we were sat really close and I just felt my mind having these really crazy thoughts like hoping you were gonna put your arm around me and kiss me on the cheek and get with me when we were out and things like that. And when we were all silent and giggly when Silky was talking to their neighbour, I just remember wanting you to kiss me so bad."

Yvie blushed and grew all quiet. "I remember that night. I wanted to kiss you at pres too."

Something suddenly occurred to Scarlet. Her mouth fell open in surprise. "Oh my God. The question game. That question you got asked. It was me, wasn’t it? The answer."

Yvie covered her face with her hands as Scarlet howled with laughter. "Oh my GOD! I’m right, aren’t I? Have you fantasised about anyone in this room, and you said yes because it must have been me. Oh Jesus. I can’t. This is amazing."

"Hey, it wasn’t just you, okay? It was Brooke as well. Fuck, no, that came out wrong,” Yvie immediately corrected herself as Scarlet’s heart dropped. “It was back in first year, we’d like, just met. Before I realised we would work better as friends. I don’t think about her like that anymore. It would be like fucking my sister."

"Yvie, it’s fine!” Scarlet let out a laugh, although secretly relieved at having her initial fears assuaged. Back to topic, Scarlet fluttered her eyes at her flirtily. “Yvelynn Jessica Oddly, what have you been thinking about me?”

“Oh, come on, girl, as if you haven’t ever entertained the idea yourself,” Yvie raised her eyebrows as Scarlet felt her heart go fast as she remembered one day she’d been playfighting with Yvie while they were studying, Yvie defensively grabbing both of Scarlet’s wrists and pinning her against the wall. The initial shock had rendered them both speechless, until they both started laughing and the moment was forgotten- until that night, anyway, where Scarlet had let her hands drift between her legs as she thought about getting pinned down and restrained by Yvie against the bed, letting her do anything she wanted with her. Seeing Scarlet’s red face, Yvie laughed. “Exactly, bitch! Exactly!”

Dropping the conversation, the girls finished up their drinks and made their way back to Yvie’s flat. By the time they got there, it was almost time for the movie night to start anyway, Nina preparing a huge bowl of popcorn in the kitchen.

“Oh, hey, Scarlet! I didn’t know you were coming early, this is a nice surprise!” Nina smiled easily, still in her work clothes and with her council lanyard and P.E. whistle draped around her neck. Scarlet watched as Nina cast an eye down to her and Yvie’s hands which were intertwined. She and Yvie held hands all the time, but Nina didn’t know that today was slightly different. It made her want to giggle.

“Yeah, I was across your side of town anyway so I thought I’d just dump my stuff. Me and Yvie just went for a drink before we came. How was placement?” she asked politely, Nina sighed and smiled.

“Placement was another day over, leaving me with another week to go, so I’m ecstatic,” she beamed, Yvie giving a small cheer from beside her. Suddenly, all three of their phones went off in their pockets. Scarlet checked hers first, saw the group chat name and who had been added to it, and looked up at the other two girls as she burst out laughing.

“Silky, oh my God,” she cried, as she read the chat.

Very Secret Branjie Sweepstake

Silky Ganache added Akeria C Davenport.

Silky Ganache added Plastique Tiara Edwards.

Silky Ganache added Nina Kaitlyn.

Silky Ganache added Yvie Oddly.

Silky Ganache added Scarlet Envy.

Silky: RIGHT HOES ME N AKERIA WERE DISCUSSING THIS

Silky: LETS HAVE SOME FUN

Silky: EVERYONE PUTS MONEY IN AND THE PERSON WHO GETS THE DATE THESE TWO FINALLY GET WITH EACH OTHER CORRECT OR CLOSEST WINS THE POT

Plastique: this is so cruel you guys

Plastique: this is their private business

Plastique: their personal life

Plastique: i’ll take New Years’ Eve

Silky: SHOTGUN BEFORE WE GO HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, LIKE OUR CHRISTMAS NIGHT OUT

Akeria: we’re going to need a date, Ms Ganache

Silky: HNGGG DECEMBER 10TH

Akeria: i’ll take January 15th

Nina cried. “This is ridiculous. And hilarious. I can’t decide whether it’s mean or the best thing ever.”

“Definitely both,” Yvie shrugged, her fingers flying across the screen as she typed.

Yvie: i’m gonna be controversial and say i think it already happened and they’re keeping it from us

Yvie: so i’m gonna say 25th October

Silky: WHAT???? WHAT ARE U NOT TELLING US

Yvie: i just told u! i think they got with each other on my bday

Yvie: does Vanj seem off to either of u?

Akeria: No she’s been normal?

Nina: i want 25th October too

Nina: me and Yvie will split the money

Scarlet: i’ll take 25th as well

Silky: OH THIS IS SOME BULLSHIT

Plastique: no come on guys

Plastique: okay at least give us times

Yvie: 11 oclock

Scarlet: 11.30

Nina: i’m gonna say 10.45

Akeria: I can’t wait to see how this turns out

As if on cue, Brooke wandered through to the kitchen. She was dressed in a pair of figure-hugging black pyjama leggings and a huge baggy top, but her hair was expertly curled and she had a full face of makeup on that looked fresh. She had her head in her phone and was smiling.

“Hey, Brooke,” Scarlet said, casting a glance to Yvie who had raised her eyebrows. Brooke suddenly looked up.

“Oh. Hey Scarlet, I didn’t know you were already here.”

“Nice makeup,” Yvie deadpanned. Brooke’s head was back in her phone.

“Thanks. I was just practising, you know? Good to do that sometimes.”

“Your hair looks good as well,” Nina winked at Yvie and Scarlet as she took the bowl and sat down beside Brooke deliberately. Brooke typed away, turning her phone ever so slightly so that Nina couldn’t see.

“Thanks, babe. Got lunch with Plastique tomorrow and we’re going somewhere nice so I wanted to curl it for tomorrow,” Brooke said nonchalantly, as Yvie dragged Scarlet to the armchair and pulled her onto her lap. Scarlet smiled happily as Yvie squeezed her waist. Just then, the flat buzzer sounded.

“I’ll get it,” Nina jumped up from the sofa. Scarlet watched as Brooke continued to message and didn’t even notice Yvie kiss Scarlet softly. Eventually, Silky, Akeria, Plastique and Vanjie all entered, the once-quiet room now full of noise as the girls all greeted each other. Scarlet watched Vanjie and Brooke interact with interest. Brooke got up from her place on the sofa and gave Vanjie a squeeze, the other girl smiling up at her cheekily and murmuring something that caused Brooke to flush red. Brooke then hurried Vanessa over to the sofa so they could sit next to each other, Brooke throwing the blanket over both their knees and Scarlet seeing their hands lock together just before they disappeared underneath it. As the girls all settled down, Scarlet looked at Yvie excitedly, ready to put the plan they had spoken about on the walk back to Yvie’s flat into action.

“Hey, girls,” Scarlet said, making sure her voice cut through every separate conversation and that all the girls were now looking at her. “Have you noticed anything different about me and Yvie today?”

There was a small pause. Scarlet saw Vanessa looking at her curiously. Akeria rolled her eyes.

“Aw, lord Jesus. You got matching tattoos, ain’t you.”

“No,” Yvie shook her head, beckoning them closer. “It’s like quite a small thing…you’ll see it if you look a bit closer.”

At once, Silky and Akeria were up close to the armchair, narrowing their eyes and studying them both. Vanessa and Brooke were craning their necks from the sofa and Plastique and Nina hovered over them, their eyes peering and narrowed. As the others all looked with baited breath, Scarlet tried to stop smiling as she turned suddenly to Yvie, took her face in her hands and kissed her, the whole room erupting in screeches and cries and the pair of them almost bowled over by the others all piling on top of them in a hug.

“Oh my GOD! Yvie!!” Nina cried, close to actual tears. “I knew it!! I fucking knew it!”

“Yeah, well,” Yvie began, then dropped it when she realised she didn’t have anything to say. She laughed.

“Scarlet! Oh my God, BITCH, so it happened? Since when was this a thing!” Vanessa cried, a huge smile on her face.

“Since today! It just happened. Yvie kissed me, she asked me to be her girlfriend, I said yes.”

Silky, who hadn’t stopped yelling since the two of them had kissed, finally formed a nearly-coherent sentence. “But I didn’t even know you two were even…that you two even liked each other!”

“Oh come on, Silk, use your eyes,” Brooke quipped, her smile affectionate as she reached over to Yvie and squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you, girl. I’m happy for you both."

"Thanks, bitch,” Yvie smiled, immediately getting cut off by Plastique.

“Okay, but we need details. Now! Like how and when and for how long and what and why!"

As Yvie began to tell the girls the story of their day, Scarlet sighed and melted into her side. She knew that Brooke and Vanjie didn’t think anyone was watching them, as Brooke whispered something into Vanessa’s ear and the other girl smiled flirtatiously up at her, kissing her quickly once, twice, three times.

Whatever was going on between them, Scarlet fancied her chances in the sweepstake.

[chocolatemillkk]

Forgetful (JM)

Request 1: Jack fluff where your on ur period and he cares for you? Your writing is brilliant btw you’re my favourite buttercream imagines writing atm 😇💗

Request 2: This is random lol but can you do jack one where you’re lactose intolerant and he doesn’t know or something fluffy where he takes you out and you have to tell him...

Jack would never admit it but women scared him sometimes. The sometimes being when they were on their period-he’d been through the birthing stimulator on Joe’s channel and when his girlfriend told him that’s what bad period cramps felt like, he’d seen the women in his life in a whole new light. Women were scary tough and he wouldn’t dare annoy one while they were on their period. Yet, he couldn’t seem to stop doing just that.

“Jack!” His girlfriend, Y/N shouts. She’d been curled in pain on Jack’s bed while he stood uselessly nearby for the last half hour. “I don’t want to hear about how strong you think I am! I’m in pain! Not about to give a fucking speech!”

“I know,” Jack blanks. “I-where do you want me? What do you want? I want to help.”

Y/N buries her head in the pillows and Jack takes a step towards her before thinking again.

“A hot compress would be nice,” Y/N groans. “And another pain killer.”

“Okay!” Jack says quickly-he could do that.

Y/N had shown up at his flat with a blanket and no makeup, looking as bad as she felt-not that he would ever tell her. He’d quickly let her in and straight to bed.

When he comes back with everything Y/N needed, he helps her sit up and rubs her back as she leans against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he says despite himself. Her only response is to slip her fingers between his and squeeze. He squeezes back-gently and kisses the top of her head.

“Thank you,” she says after a while. “I know you’re only trying to help.”

“That’s alright,” Jack leans away to look Y/N inthe face. “Is it still really bad?”

“The pills helped but I feel crampy and bloated and hot! Is it just me? It’s really hot in here!”

And even though it was the middle of November Jack opens the windows for her before throwing on a jumper. He was very cold.

“Lay with me for a bit?” Y/N says.

“Shove over,” Jack nudges her bum to give him room on the bed and she laughs as she rolls over. He settles in and pulls Y/N to his chest and she snuggles into it, pulling the fabric of his shirt into her fists and settling her nose into the crook of his neck.

“You’re so cold,” she mumbles against his skin.

“You’re keeping me warm,” Jack kisses her forehead.

“Aren’t I always?” Y/N looks up with a cheeky grin that Jack can’t help but kiss off. In an instant, Jack’s rolled over and pinned Y/N under him. Her fingers drag through his hair but suddenly she stops and pushes him up.

“What’s wrong?” Jack’s expression clouds over with concern as Y/N face scrunches in pain.

“I can’t do this right now,” she gasps. Jack quickly sits beside her and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hated when, every so often, Y/N would have really bad periods and spend days in bed. He couldn’t do anything to take the pain away and sometimes his anxious presence made it worse. He would try to be useful but Y/N always told him to just let her be until the pain passed. This time, however, it seemed worse and Jack wanted to do something-anything-to help.

“How about I close the blinds,” Jack gets up. “And reheat the compress. And you can just relax here.”

“Sounds heavenly” Jack could detect the sarcasm in Y/N’s voice but he didn’t take it personally. She’d said worse before and Jack stopped being offended. She always apologised after, saying she was just frustrated by the pain until Jack told her he understood. He would not be as calm as she was with that sort of pain.

He does as he said he would and returns to Y/N under the covers. The compress disappears under the sheets so Jack decides to leave to give her some rest.

“Love you,” Y/N calls out feebly just as Jack was shutting the door.

“I know,” Jack says gently. “I love you, I’ll check in on you later.”

Jack paces the living room before thumping down onto the couch and turning on the TV. He stretches over to get the game controllers and lowers the volume before immersing himself into the video game. He doesn’t know how much time had passed until Y/N’s presence alerts him. Wrapped in blankets, she shuffles to the kitchen to reheat her compress before moving into the living room and settling beside Jack. Without taking his eyes off the screen, Jack lifts his arms up and Y/N lays down, her head on his lap as he continues playing.

He pauses it after a while to see that Y/N had fallen back asleep. Gazing down at her, she looked so peaceful. He brushes her hair and she shifts.

“Sorry,” Jack whispers. She mumbles something in response but Jack misses it as his own stomach growls.

Carefully, Jack lifts Y/N’s head and places it on a pillow, covering her body with another blanket. He reheats some food and as he’s waiting, he spots an empty candy wrapper and the idea hits him. As soon as he’s done lunch he would pick up something to cheer his girlfriend up.

Grabbing his keys, Jack heads out of the flat and to the local shops without alerting Y/N. He picks up half a dozen different chocolates, biscuits, tampons he was pretty sure Y/N used, and tea his sister had suggested after he texted her in a frenzy.

When he gets back, he makes the tea and places it down onto the coffee table with the chocolates. He sits on the table and gently nudges the cocoon Y/N had wrapped herself into. After another, slightly harder push, Y/N look up at him with squinty eyes.

“What’s this?” Her face immediately lights up as she spots the tea and chocolate.

“I thought it’d help you,” Jack shrugs. “Anna said peppermint tea is good for you.”

Y/N takes a sip of the tea and she closes her eyes, content with the warm beverage.

“Come here,” Y/N puts the mug down and tugs at Jack. He leans down to kiss her and her lips are warm and taste like peppermint. Jack holds her face in his hands until they pull back, their foreheads resting on the other’s.

“Thank you babe,” Y/N kisses him again and Jack wants to carry it further but he leaves it for another time, leaning away completely.

Y/N swipes a chocolate from the table and then picks up another before looking up at him with confusion. “Babe.”

“What?” Jack looks down at the chocolates. “Don’t you like that one?”

“Babe!” Y/N starts laughing.

“Why are you laughing? What’s happened?”

“Jack!” Y/N shouts before laughing again. “Babe! Do you want me to feel even shittier? No pun intended.”

And with that she’s on her back laughing, clutching her stomach and trying to calm herself but falling back into a giggling fit.

“I don’t...” Jack grabs ahold of the chocolate and flips it over, still confused what she was laughing about. “What are you-are you alright?”

“No!” Y/N laughs through the pain, wiping her tears. “Baby, you know I’m lactose intolerant right?”

“Yeah?” Jack looks at the chocolate again. “What’s it have to do with this o-oh.”

He spots the milk chocolate part and looks back at Y/N who’s face is streaked with tears as she waits for the light bulb to light up. As it does, she begins laughing again and it’s infectious as Jack hangs his head in his hands and joins in. Even though Y/N’s cramps stab at her uterus and her body’s flushed with heat, the laughing makes her momentarily forget.

“Can you imagine if I-“ Y/N breaks off into laughter again, sitting up to try and take deep breaths. Jack shifts his spot to the couch and when Y/N leans back again he wraps his arm around her and her head lays on his chest. She takes big breaths as they try to stop the giggling.

The two lay on the sofa until the laughing subsides. Jack picks up the chocolates, regretting his choice not to consider the labels when Y/N plucks one from the pile.

“I can eat this one-it’s dark chocolate.”

“Yeah? I knew that,” Jack bluffs.

“Oh did you?” Y/N teases, turning to bury her face in his shirt and he laughs.

“I’m sorry-really. I tried to be a good boyfriend but I failed miserably.”

“You didn’t,” Y/N cuddles into his chest. “You’re the best boyfriend who’s just forgetful sometimes.”

“That doesn't sound much better. I wouldn't date someone with that kind of description,” Jack chuckles.

“Good thing you don’t have to then,” Y/N kisses his cheek. “Now give me that tea please?”

Jack hands it to her and watches Y/N blow on the beverage before glancing up at him. Her smile is like a slow sunrise that warms him up from the inside out. He tucks her hair behind her ear and she quickly jerks her head to kiss his hand in the act.

“I love you,” Jack grins.

Her eyes twinkle as she takes a sip of her tea. I love you too, they say, despite the forgetfulness.

[ionica01]

tdmm right to the good parts 4 if ur still taking requests! love ur work

So uhm. This was probably not what you had in mind and I honestly had this in my docs for a while as a finished fluffy drabble but I just wasn’t happy with it. Ir felt generic and too much like other “couples waking up together” things I wrote. So it turned to 2,5k of angst (with a happy ending dw)

If you want the fluff you can shoot another request and I’ll gladly post that, but I’m much happier with how this came out. I hope you enjoy!

“What do you mean there aren’t any single rooms left?”

“As I said, Sir, it’s a very busy time for us, being the height of the tourism season. The double room is all we have left, and that only because a couple canceled at the last minute,” the receptionist said sheepishly.

Todoroki blinked blankly at her, as if her words didn’t make any sense to him. Momo was just as frazzled by the predicament they found themselves in - soaked by the rain that started suddenly pouring as they returned from their date, if an arranged meeting could even be called that, with cold seeping into their bones as small puddles formed around them in the reception hall.

A glance at the downpour outside made Momo exchange a look with Todoroki, whose left side was at work to get them both warmer. Momo stepped closer to him, teeth chattering, and hugged herself tighter. Sharing a room would be rather awkward, but if their alternative was walking back into the storm -

Todoroki closed his eyes for a moment, and then said, his lips pressed into a fine line, “We’ll take it.”

The mattress underneath her feels too soft for this to be Momo’s bed - she preferred the stiffer ones, which don’t sink under her, supporting her weight when she stirs in her sheets. Regardless, she had a pleasant enough dream that she doesn’t mind the soft pillow that engulfs her face too much, either.

Rolling on her side, Momo stretches her arms, only for her hand to thumb over something soft, and with an uncannily similar texture to hair. That’s when her eyes shot open and Momo comes to face with a mass of messy red and white bangs tangled into each other, sticking up in all the wrong places.

That’s also when she realizes she wasn’t dreaming.

Sleep flies off her eyelashes as soon as it downs on her that she’s actually sharing a bed with Todoroki Shouto, and she curls back into herself quietly, a wave of blood flooding her checks so they match the man’s hair. She quickly checks whether she barged into his personal space and loosens a breath when she assures herself she hasn’t kicked her sheets away during the night. At least that went well, she smiles ironically.

Peeking from over the border of her fluffy pillow, Momo contemplates how she should act once she wakes up. Should she apologize for this weird situation? Should she crack a joke? Should she pretend nothing ever happened at all?

The thoughts swarm around her head, but she can’t develop any of them into anything more coherent than a thread of words. The only idea that surmounts her embarrassment is the fact that she’s going to have to get used to waking up next to him.

If every morning will greet her with a rush of adrenaline like this, she doubts she can do it.

The embarrassment and excitement soon subside, leaving place for the sinking feeling that makes her stomach drop as if she was on a rollercoaster ride. Momo extends a shy finger to brush his hair back into place, and when he doesn’t budge, his chest falling and rising with obsessive rhythmicity, she tucks it behind his ear.

Momo would like to indulge herself into running a hand through his hair. She’s been dying to know whether it’s as silky and fluffy as it looks and, judging from the strands she’s just touched, it doesn’t disappoint. She wants to play with it, wonders what he’d look like with a ponytail, has the sudden urge to break the invisible barriers both of them built up with a single kick and barge into his life.

But his back is turned to her, so she can’t even content herself with looking at his peaceful sleeping face.

They were sixteen and immature when their parents announced them they were betrothed. Momo was relieved it was someone decent like Todoroki, and thought she could get used to his stoic nature and soba eating habits. Todoroki just clenched his jaw tightly and said nothing.

Ever since then, Momo’s been wondering whether he despises the thought of having to marry her. As time closes in on them, Momo feels more and more trapped by her own cowardice, but every time she opens her mouth to voice her thoughts, to put a painful end this stupid, yet agonizing charade, her throat dries up and she ends up gaping like a fish.

She’d like to finally break the dam on her feelings, to ask him whether he’ll come back every time he walks out of the office or if he’ll run away from being tied forever to her; wants to know whether she should even buy the white dress her mother found while going shopping or if that’ll end up in a closet as a dire reminder that he left her at the altar; dies to ask whether they’ll grow old together without him ever telling her why he’s doing this.

But Todoroki sleeps with his back at her, and Momo shuts up.

But the words gather, they form clusters deep inside her, and they fight to get out in a whirlwind of emotion. Her vision gets blurry, and she rubs her head in her pillow, determined not to cry. Still, her lower lip trembles, and her nose is itchy.

Out of everything that’s crumbling inside her at the realisation that she can’t wake up to him every morning like this, can’t face the reality that she’ll be warming half of the bed just looking at his broad shoulders from behind and wondering whether they’re broad enough to shoulder this unwanted marriage, three words stand tall between the ruins. The debris of Momo’s feelings is floating around these words, hitting them over and over again, but they don’t falter.

So Momo takes a shuddering breath and curls into herself further as she parts her lips to let just these words slip in something barely above a whisper.

“I love you.”

She decides to sleep on the couch once they move in together.

***

Shouto stops in front of the couch like he does every morning, crouching in front of the sleeping woman. She’s still wearing her office clothes, and she hasn’t even pulled the extendable couch open. It looks like she just crashed there after coming home, barely having enough energy to clumsily drape a blanket over herself. The arm that falls over the side of the couch, fingers gently brushing the floor, houses a new scar. Shouto swallows the impulse to lean over and kiss her wound.

Yaoyorozu is sleeping peacefully, yet even as she lays there she looks pale and weary. Since they’ve moved in together, Shouto feels like they’ve only drifted further apart. With him having the morning shift and her returning well after midnight, they barely see each other, and whenever one of them has the day off, they spend it anywhere but at home. Their apartment isn’t even a home, but a place of refugee that offers a bed and food.

She’s lost weight and dons dark circles under her onyx eyes, but Shouto can still see the sparkle in the pools of obsidian, because Yaoyorozu may be tired and she would probably rather choose a man worthy to marry her, not one with his emotional baggage and constipated emotions range, but she is too kind to be capable of hate. Any time their eyes meet, no matter how rarely that happens nowadays, she offers him a genuine smile, and Shouto finds himself wishing she could despise him.

If she did, maybe he’d find it easier to imprison all of his feelings, to silence them in the cage he’s been keeping them in for so long. His sentiments for her are like wild animals he needs to keep under a leash, and the only way to tame them is to peek into his fiance’s face for five minutes each morning. Sometimes he dares run a hand through the knots in her hair, when she falls asleep before drying it properly. Other times he even goes as far as to plant a kiss to the crown of her head.

But every time, he mutters three words to her. He needs to get them out of his system before he blurts them out to Yaoyorozu, before he loses control over them and they drive him mad, before they make him do something as reckless as kissing her when she’s awake.

So he says, “I love you” each morning, without fail.

The words are like weeds though, and no matter what he does they grow up again over the day, developing thicker roots with every passing smile she throws him and with every meal she cooks for him to eat when she isn’t at home. But most of all, they grow while he’s sleeping, filling the garden of his mind with dreams of her saying a genuine yes to a genuine proposal, and the weeds look like roses for those blessed four hours of restless sleep.

But then Shouto wakes up and they revert to being poisonous plants, and he needs to cut them again and mutter “I love you” against her ear.

Time is closing in on them and Shouto wonders whether he should just leave before he ruins her life by saying “I do”. It’s only the fact that she never turns her back on him, not even while sleeping, and her relentless kind words directed even at a scum like him, that make him hesitate.

***Momo slips out of her heels, urging her sore feet to carry her to the sofa, where she collapses without paying any mind to taking the uncomfortable dress off or removing her makeup. She just leans against the couch and closes her eyes, falling into a fitful sleep.

She doesn’t remember when, but warmth envelopes her and she feels she’s being lifted from the couch. Momo doesn’t need to open her eyes to know who’s carrying her - she would recognise the smell of him anywhere. She flutters her eyes open nevertheless, out of curiosity.

Todoroki notices right away, and her stomach does a somersault as his mismatched eyes meet hers. He looks almost frightened when he talks, as if she was a fragile museum piece he touched without permission, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up, but you looked uncomfortable. I’ll take the couch tonight.”

She smiles wearily, and feels lighter and heavier all at once. This is why I can’t get over you, Todoroki. Even when I’m a burden to you, you’re still kind to me. This is why I love you.

Todoroki suddenly stops walking, and she feels his grasp tighten on her. His jawline toughens just like when he found out he was to marry her, and an unreadable expression paints his features into a terrifying look.

That’s when Momo realizes she said the last part out loud. It’s all she can do to keep herself from jumping out of his arms and running.

They stare into each other’s eyes for what feels like a small eternity, and Momo feels his gaze burn through her. Before he can talk, she says, “I’m so sorry, just forget everything!” She tries pushing him away, getting back on her feet, but his hold is firm and his gaze so piercing she feels her body turn into jelly.

She should have known she couldn’t have kept it in forever, but a part of her still hoped she would. The romantic part of her dreamed she wouldn’t need to, that he’d just have a change of heart one day and suddenly declare his undying love for her. She quickly shushes that whisper of hope whenever it wakes up.

But now she’s gone and done it, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t rip those words from where they linger as a grim reminder of her mistake in between them.

When he finally talks, his expression doesn’t change. “Can you repeat that?”

And that’s when Momo snaps.

She pushes her hands against his chest and jumps onto the floor, trying to shake the prickling that makes her nose run and her eyes glossy. She still manages an angry, “You’re terrible, Todoroki.”

Her first impulse is to slap herself, because that’s the second time she blurts out something she doesn’t want to say tonight, but she settles for running for now, because she’s broken the dam and she must take shelter before the flood comes.

Hiding. That’s what she’s best at.

Todoroki catches her wrist before she can make it to the front door.

“Yaoyorozu.” His voice is deep and serious, not mocking. Of course, even now, he’s kind, and she finds herself wishing he weren’t. It makes it really hard to yell at him to let her go.

“Did you mean what you said earlier?”

This time she turns around to face him properly and looks him straight in the eyes. She’s already so soaked that she may as well stop running for shelter and just drown.

The tears are welling at the corner of her eyes, but her voice doesn’t crack when she says, “I did.”

And then she’s not really sure why, but the tears fall down uncontrollably, and then Todoroki’s thumb is wiping them away, and then his hand grabs the back of her neck and his lips seize hers and they’re kissing.

By the time he pulls for air, Momo is pretty sure she has gone mad and given in to her romantic self, so she pulls him back down, pouring all of her unspoken feelings into this kiss. He pulls her closer, lets go of her hand just to press her waist against him, so tightly that Momo isn’t sure where she ends and where he begins. His fingers brush her cheek, tracing new territory, outlining her jaw and ear, tucking hair behind it, all in moves so quick and so hungry as if it’s a race against time.

He nibs at her lower lip, and Momo parts her lips to let a low moan escape, but that’s enough for Todoroki to sneak in, and she feels dizzy. She can’t think of anything except for Todoroki kissing her here and now, and that sets red alarms buzzing in her head, but she silences the rational voice just for this once, and stops thinking about the thousands of ways in which this will break her once she wakes up, because this has to be a dream.

Momo doesn’t register which one of them pulls away to breathe, but she’s grateful for the intake of oxygen that clears her mind just enough to hear Todoroki say, “I love you.”

For the first time since they moved in together, Momo shares the bed with Todoroki. It’s the best sleep she’s had in months, and the gravity of the truth hits her only when she wakes up the next day to Todoroki kissing her again and muttering in her ear.

“I love you.”

[christiemac]

Hips, lips and fashion tips from Christie

..Hips, lips and fashion tips..

MAKEUP 

Curl your eyelashes! I know it sucks. But it’s so worth it. No amount of makeup or mascara is going to give u the same effect of just curling your lashes. Sometimes I don’t even wear makeup and I’ll just curl my eyelashes anyway for just a little oomph

Pro tip: go slowwww when crimping, it will hurt if u catch some skin (not that I have to tell you). Start halfway down your lashes. This 1) curls the tips.. which tend to ‘fall’ if they’re packed with mascara 2) it gathers the lashes together all nice so when u go in to curl the base of the lashes ur not fighting with all the hairs. * 

Curl them a bunch of times before adding mascara.. I curl my lashes like… a stupid amount.. like 5-10 times per eye, minumum, before I even put mascara on. Like I said mascara with weigh them down immediately so don’t worry if they look over curled. I tend to do my hair in 3 sections. And so between each section of hair I stop.. let the straightener heat back up and curl my lashes

Only buy lipstick with blue undertones and NOT orange or yellow undertones. Especially reds. Orange undertones make teeth look yellow while blue undertones make them look whiter

HAIR

Use a ceramic straightener.. NO METAL!! * Homemade shampoo: Baking soda and water; I only wash my hair every 4 days and i do it once and it holds a curl (without product) until I shower again 

 Use a skinny straightener to curl hair instead of a curler

Bonus tip..when curling; try to grab different sized sections of hair  or use varying sized barrels to get big, full, natural looking curls

Rinse hair and skin under Cool water before exiting the shower which closes pores and hair shafts reducing frizz and leaving hair and skin looking glowy… if u dare !

HYGEINE

Alright this ones a little strange but I actually brush my teeth every time I poop lol I’m already in the bathroom. Just sitting there doing nothing.. and if your a healthy pooper then your brushing ur teeth 2+ times per day. Also it’s just an easy reminder.. before I started doing this I used to forget all the time and realize 10 minutes after I left the house for the day that I didn’t brush… yuck!

Work up a sweat in the bathroom before showering Another little time saver (bonus laundry saver if you do it nude) I try to exercise in the bathroom before showering. Giving myself like 20 minutes minimum to just do some squats and exercises.. work up a little sweat before hopping in the shower and washing it off. Sweating also opens your pores making cleansers more effective

 ^ this is also a great time to put on any masks that need to be rinsed put or use this time to rub some lemon over the dark areas of your skin (elbows, armpits bikini area, etc.) to lighten them and rinse it off in the shower

Use a buzzer instead of a razor.. 95% of the time I use a buzzer.. legs, admits, bikini area.. 1)it’s saves time 2)you can buzz in or out of the shower and 3)I hate razor itch more then anything.. and u look like a money scratching ur pits or a pedophile scratching ur crotch for the next 2 days after shaving. There are times when u NEED to get close and that calls for a razor. But the majority of the time you can get away with a buzzer.. think of how smooth a mans face gets.. And they make ones specifically for women.

CLOTHING, COLORS + STYLE

 No empire waists.. ever.. they don’t look good on anyone.. it makes perfect models look like they have no curves and it makes curvy women look pregnant. Just don’t do it.. trust me. Instead try a fitted shirt. One that gently hugs the waist. Or even a belt. 

Try red: pretty pretty please try red.. lips, clothes, heels, nails. Just try it. I don’t care if your blond, brunette or a redhead. Pale skin, olive skin, brown skin. Make sure u try it on before buying.. don’t just buy it because U like the shade of red.. there are a lot of different shades of red so make sure it goes well with your skin color. Ull know if it DOESNT match.. trust your instincts. If ur still unsure ask an employee for an 'honest opinion’. (Specify honest opinion in order to show that your not just fishing for compliments) Bonus points if you actually wear it out and don’t just let it sit in the back of your closet. U might not like it but at least u tried it. And I would put money on the likelihood that you receive compliments and/or the man in ur life ends up loving it on you. 

 Let him dress you Trust ur man.. and if u can’t do that.. then you can put ALL ur faith in the fact that he wants to be seen with a hot girl just as much as you want to feel sexy. So let him dress u sometimes (if he’s willing.. which he should be.. cuz that’s hot as fuck) and ask him for his opinion as often as it strikes you.Even if u don’t like what he chooses.. don’t just suggest something else.. TRY WEARING IT.. he’s the one who has to look at u all night anyway. And if he doesn’t like it u bet ur ass he won’t be suggesting that next time lol 

Don’t add unnecessary pieces u will rarely ever see me with a belt that isn’t actually holding up my pants. Or a scarf on a warm day. Or even sunglasses on a cloudy day. If it’s unnecessary then drop it it’s not doing u any good and even on the best day- u carried it around all day and never used it.. on a bad day- I probably lost it (I don’t mean accessories like jewlery shoes or bags) 

Dont wear brands or labels my grandfather always said “why spend your hard earned money on anything that has a brand or name sprawled across it? They should be paying YOU for the free advertising” and I’ve always taken that to heart. My only 2 exceptions are musicians and sports teams.. and that’s because you are actually trying to show your support. 

Black is and always will be your best friend. But find your “color” or 2 (ones that compliment your skin, hair and eyes) and try to wear that just as often 

 Bonus tip. Take notice when people compliment you. If they say something along the lines of “I like that shirt” or “that shirt looks nice” - they are most often complimenting the shirt. If they say “you look nice in that shirt” or - then they are compliment YOU and more likely then not.. the color on you LTake notice when people makes unsolicited compliments.. especially if u get multiple compliments in one day.. and note what they are complimenting u on. Hair, makeup, shirt color.. and then recreate that look as often as it suits your 

 Often times people (females) won’t go out of their way to compliment you on something unless they really like it. They’re not doing it to make u feel better… or to snicker at u once u turn your back. If someone compliments you take its graciously. Say thank you, and make a mental note the compliment 

 Pro:bonus:tip- I’ve even been known to write down compliments that I get.. including the date.. especially if they are very sincere and heartfelt. And I go back and read them on my sadder days 

Find your shape and dress for it. 

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD USE UR ASSETS ; whatever they may be.. eyes, boobs, ass, arms, neck.. I don’t care.. accent them, highlight them, point a neon sign at them.. do what you gotta do to show em off 

Be comfortable: I learned this one the hard way.. after years of tugging at my shirt.. pulling up my pants.. and sucking in my stomach.. 1) u look uncomfortable.. 2) you feel uncomfortable.. and 3) everyone knows exactly what your doing… so finally I learned to just buy clothes that I’m comfortable wearing. No comfy.. no monies. 

Find your bra style and size once and for all.. Personally, the style that fits me best is balconette. It has and always the balconette style. Trust me it will make it a lot easier to bra shop and just live life in general. And it’s such a relief to not have to 'adjust’ every 2 seconds or be surprised once I finally glance down only to notice that they’ve come completely untethered inside my shirt and now im wondering when was the last time I even looked in a downward direction.